Thursday, January 31, 2008

Somnath Temple


Somnath Temple
Sanskrit Shloka On Somnath Jyothirlinga
saurAShTradeshe vishade.atiramye jyotirmayaM chandrakalAvataMsam bhaktipradAnAya kRipAvatIrNaM taM somanAthaM sharaNaM prapadye

“Jay Somanath! Jay Somanath”!
Somnath, the first in the twelve jyothirlingas, is located at the Viraval port - Prabhas Pattan in Saurashtra - Gujarat.
Anceint Glory
Known as prabhAsa kshetra, Somnath occupied a much esteemed place in the Hindu holy places. It finds many references in the purANas & itihAsas.
The inner temple of the Garbhashay was supported to be aglow with the luster of these gemstones. The Nanda Deep was always kept lighted with Kannauji attar. The treasure of the temple was forever full of vast wealth and was kept safe.
For worship of the Lord-and Abhishek (worship with holy water) sandalwood scented water was brought from Haridwar, Prayag Kashi every day. However flowers for special festivities were imported from Kashmir. For the routine daily worship, one thousand Brahmins were appointed. About three hundred and fifty dancing girls were appointed for the regular music and dance concerts that took place in the Temple courts.
This religious place of worship was earning the produce of ten thousand villages. Among the twelve JyotirLingas (Lingas of light) Somanath is considered as the primary one. Because this deity is supposed to be Swayanbhu (self-born) and is always awake, lakhs of devotees visited this temple and considered themselves blessed and to have achieved piety. Offerings made by crores of devotees amounted to crores of rupees which kept the Temple always rich and abundant. Along with this, the Sun worshipping foreigners (probably Parsis) also contributed a pat of their profits to the temple treasury which kept its coffers full, all the time.
sthala purANa
Chandra, (moon) was the first one to receive the benefic boon of Shri Somanath of Saurashtra, the Shiva pilgrimage, Agni Teerth and Surya Teerth. Then Chandra built a beautiful golden temple and put a glorious JyotirLinga in it, the first of its kind in India.
According to Prabhaskhand of Skanda Purana, the legend goes like this:
Chandra married the twenty seven daughters (stars) of Daksha, but was very partial and showed lot more love and affection to rohini. The remaining twenty six wives not only felt neglected but also insulted. They were disappointed with their husband and went and complained to their father. Daksha was upset to see his daughters suffer thus, and tried twice to convince his son-in-law to change himself, but in vain. He put a curse on him that Chandra would be “decreasing” in size.
The Devas (Celestial gods) were very sad at Chandra’s plight and went to Brahma. The Creator, in order to find out a remedy for this condition of Chandra and get a solution for redressing the curse. Brahma told them that the only way out was to worship Vrishabhdhwaj Shankar at Prabhas Kshetra Mahamrityunjay. Chandra went on a penance for six months and prayed to Lord Shiva, at the end of which Shankara appeared before him. He gave Chandra the boon that in a month, he would grow for fifteen days in one half and in the other half he would keep loosing one Kala (shade) per day and decrease in size. He was pleased with the Devas and in order to increase the prestige of the place, Lord Shiva Himself came to be known as Someshwar, meaning famous moon (Soma). The Devas established a Someshwar Kund there. By taking a holy dip in this pond or Kund, it is believed that one would obtain release from all the sins.
Chandra or moon is also called Som. That is why this JyotirLinga has become famous as Somanath. Chandra or moon looks very bright here. Therefore, this place is also known as “Prabhasapattana”.
Later, Shri Somnath Mandir was built by Ravana fro Rupa in the treda yug and Lord Krishna fro Chandran in <>. Emperor vikramAditya built the temple in the kali yug.
Troubled times and Hindu Resilience
This grand temple of Somanath came under the attack of the Muslims several times. In the year 722, Junamad, the Sindh Subedar attacked it for the first time and looted innumerable items from its treasure.
The beautiful statue of Somanath, can be seen from the center because of the miraculous magnetic power. Ghajni Mohammed, destroyed this statue on Friday, the 11th of May 1025 AD. From then onwards, Ghajni Mohammed came to be known as the “Statute Destroyer” (Iconoclast). On that day, he plundered and looted a treasure worth 18 crores.
In 1297 AD, Allauddin Kkhiji sent his Sardar Altaf Khan to Somanath on a mission of destroying and putting down the Somanath Mandir. The Somanath Temple was subjected to series of attacks starting in 1479 AD by Mohammad Begada, Mujaffar Shah, II, in 1503 AD, and finally by Aurangazeb, known to be the most intolerant towards other religions, in 1701 AD, where in, the temple was totally destroyed, plundered and looted in a most horrible way. A large number of people were killed mercilessly and a lot of money stolen.
In 1783 AD Sadhvi Alalya devi Holkar, a great devotee of Siva, built a new temple for Somanath after India become independent, the lion of Gujarat, Sardar Vallabhai Patel renovated the Somanath Temple on the advice of Kakashaheb Gadgil of Maharashtra with its revived Indian architectural beauty for which it became an unique example. It drew the attention of the world.
The Somanath JyotirLinga statue was reinstated (Pran Pratishta) on Friday the 11th May 1951 at 9.46 A.M. It was done by the then President of India, Honourable Dr. Rajendra Prasad, to the tune of the Veda chanting of Vedamurti Tarka Teertha Lakshman Shastri Joshi, in a grand manner.
This primary JyotirLinga located in India, is the cynosure of all Indian pilgrims. It is always crowded with lakhs of devotees. A large number of Sadhus and pious men can be met there. With the offerings of devotees, the Somanath Temple’s grandeur is revived. In spite of being subjected to destruction by intolerants, the faith of Indian devotees, dedication and their love was never destroyed. Shri Somanath JyotirLinga stands as the legendary example of the same.
The temples 15th memorial and the ancient monument located on the sea side of Kahiavad near Prabhaspattan. There are many famous mythological stories attached to them. The sun temple is the most ancient of all. There is no presiding deity in it, but the architecture of temple is so exquisite, that even by seeing the ruins one can imagine.
Saint Agastya, is supposed to have drunk the entire sea near Prabhasapattan. Mythological heroes like Janamejaya, Pandavas, Ravana are supposed to have visited Prabhasapattan Teerth. In the month of Magha (sometime in February) on the day of Shivaratri, Somanath JyotirLinga festival is celebrated with great aplomb.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Jyothir Lingas

Srisailam


Bhimasankari Mah


Somnath Temple Gujrat
JYOTIRLINGA: THE STORY OF THE LIGHT
What is jyothirlinga ?Worship of shivalinga is considered the prime worship for the devotees of Lord shiva.
Worship of all other forms is considered secondary. The significance of the shivalinga is
that It is the resplendent light (flame) form of the Supreme - solidified to make the
worship of It easier. It represents the real nature of God - formless essentially and taking
various forms as It wills. More details on the shiva linga significance could be found at
Shaivam A Perspective.
This jyoti swarUpa of God exist in all the shivalinga forms, there are prominent abodes
across Indian subcontinent, where It is in a splendid form. These are renowned as dvAdasa
jyotir lingas or 12 jyotirlingas. These are held at much great esteem since the ancient
pre-historic times. purANas talk in many sections as well as in detail about the glory of
these abodes. Devotees have been getting pulled towards these kshetras due to the highly
benevolent divine presence in these abodes, since ancient times.
The 12 jyothirlinga templesThere is an sanskrit shloka that lists the twelve jyotirlinga temples. (This and the complete dvAdasa jyotirlinga stotra could be found at Scripture Page)
“Saurashtre Somanathamcha Srisaile MallikarjunamUjjayinya Mahakalam Omkaramamaleswaram Paralyam Vaidyanathancha Dakinyam Bheema Shankaram Setu Bandhethu Rameswaram, Nagesam DarukavaneVaranasyantu Vishwesam Tryambakam GautameethateHimalayetu Kedaaram, Ghrishnesamcha shivaalayeEtani jyotirlingani, Saayam Praatah PatennarahSapta Janma Kritam pApam, Smaranena Vinashyati”Mahadev, the Lord incorporates in Himself, the aura and the holiness of all the twelve
JyotirLingas. The grandeur of these places is unique. Devotees line up in great numbers to
take a look and get a Darshan of all the JyotirLingas.
Location of the jothirlinga temples Two on the sea shore, three on river banks, four in the heights of the mountains and three
in villages located in meadows; the twelve Jyotirlingas are spread out like this. Every
place has been described in glorious words by many detailing the surroundings etc.
Those of us who go to these temples of Shubhankar Shankar- Jyoti-Sivasthan, receive the holy
blessings of the Lord, and come back happy, peaceful and blessed. This in indeed depends on
one’s devotion and experience too.
Somnath in Saurashtra (Guj) Mallikarjun in Srisailam (A.P.) Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain (M.P.) Omkareshwar in Shivpuri / mAmaleswara (M.P.) Vaidyanath in Parali (Mah) Nageswar in Darukavanam Kedareswar in Kedarnath / Himalayas (Utt) Tryambakeswar in Nasik (Mah) Rameshwar in Setubandanam / Rameshwaram (T.N.) Bhimashankar in Dakini (Mah) Visweswar in Varanasi (U.P.) and Ghrishneswar in Devasrovar (Mah). Those who chant the Dwadasa JyotirLinga Stotram or prayer will attain salvation and
enlightenment and be released from this cycle of human existence with all its travails. By
worshipping the Lingas, people of all castes, creeds and colour would be freed from all
difficulties. By eating the holy offering made to these Lingas (Naivedyam) one would be rid
of all the sins instantly.
As a matter of fact, we do the Darshan of the JyoritLingas as a part of our daily life. Sun,
Fire and Light etc., are indeed a part of that great Light. “Om tatsavituvarenye” these
magical words of the Gayatri mantra or chant invoke this Supreme light only. By chanting
this powerful Mantra, humans can obtain divine power to their life-light or Atmajyothi.
The aura of the Sun rays and the various benefits that can be derived there from is indeed a
difficult task to describe. This gorgeous life-light is the only thing that is responsible
for the activity in the universe. We salute this life force.
“Agni” or fire is a great light. For all the activities on the earth, “Fire” is the pivot.
Deepajyoti or light and its greatness, is known to all of us, and we offer our prayers. Let
us celebrate the glory of light. Light is offered a place of pride at welcome celebrations
and on all auspicious occasions.
“Shubham karoti kalyanam Arogyam DhanasampadaShatru buddhi vinashaya Deepa Jyoti namostute”This light removes the darkness from the lives of one and all. Darkness means ignorance and
it is destroyed by this light. The natured light of God makes all our wishes come true, when
we take a Darshan of it.
Thus, by taking a Darshan of these twelve JyotirLingas, the auspicious air surrounding them
and the holy pilgrimage, will bring happiness, peace and satisfaction to all.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Maha Mrityunjya Japa

SHIVA
Mrityunjaya Japa
OM trayaMbakaM yajaamahe sugandhiM pushhTivardhanam.h urvaarukamiva bandhanaan mR^ityormukshiiya maa.aMR^itaat.h
This is the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra.
We worship the three-eyed One (Lord Siva) Who is fragrant and who nourishes well all beings; may He liberate us from death for the sake of Immortality even as the cucumber is severed from its bondage (to the creeper).

Friday, January 18, 2008

Bhagirath Pryatnam

Ganesha Writing The Mahabartha
This posting is done further to the Makar Sankranti Write up where you will find the following paragraph,while the blog was being posted the same day in the Geeta class we were told about the puranic story, where it is described that the king Sagara had 60,001,son and all the sons were burnt to ashes by Indira who became jittery on hearing that king Sagara is performing a Yajna and before the same could be completed the Ashva or the horse was stolen by Indira and kept in the patala loka,king sagara sends Bhagirath(after his 60000 sons sent earlier to do the job are killed by Indira) to retrieve the horse from Indira,where Bhagirath finds that all the 60000 brothers of his is burnt to ashes, for the moksha for the sixty thousand souls he prays to Indira and ultimately Indira relents and tells him to bring the Ganges to patla loka and get moksha for his brothers, now Baghirath approaches Brigu rishi and requests him to bring Ganges with his tapsysa which he obliges and brings Ganges, however on the way the Ganga is stopped by Shiva for which once again Bhgirath has to pray to Shiva and ultimately shiva lets out Ganges from the lofts of his hair to get Moksha for the sixty thousand souls. Now imagine the amount of labour put in by Baghirath, hence when ever you take up a big task or work and if you finish it successfully it is known as Baghirath pryartana.
The Pargraph in Makar Sankranti Write up
The great savior of his ancestors, Maharaj Bhagirath, did great Tapasya to bring Gangaji down on the earth for moksha to the sixty thousand souls.arata. In the Mahabharata, it is Keshini who gave birth to sixty thousand sons and it is Sumati who had a single son named Asamanja. Also in the Mahabharata, all sixty thousand sons were burnt to ashes.In Bay of Bengal Lakhs take holy dip in the Ganges and do tarpana for their ancestors, the Mela is known as Ganga Sagar Mela.
Text from Puranas
The Brahma Purana also tells us that the sacrificial horse was obtained by Sagara from the ocean. This is the reason why the ocean is referred to as sagara.
To come back to the account given in the Brahma Purana. Panchajana's son was Amshumana and Amshumana's son was Dilipa. Dilipa had a son named Bhagiratha. Bhagiratha brought down the river Ganga from heaven to earth and thus redeemed his ancestors who had been burnt to ashes by Kapila. It was because of this that the river Ganga came to be known as Bhagirathi.
From Bhagiratha was descended Raghu. Raghu's son was Aja, Aja's son Dasharatha and Dasharatha's son Rama.The redemption of 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar, who were burnt to ashes at the Kapil Muni Ashram, near the present day Ganga Sagar. It was on this day that Bhagirath finally did tarpan with the Ganges water for his unfortunate ancestors and thereby liberated them from the curse. After visiting the Patala for the redemption of the curse of Bhagirath’s ancestors Gangaji finally merged in the Sagar. Even today a very big Ganga Sagar Mela is organized every year on this day at the confluence of River Ganges and ocean.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Makar Sankranti & Festival

Seek The Blessings Of Elders
Introduction of Makar Sankranti:
Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious day for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor & gaiety. Lakhs of people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar & Prayag and pray to Lord Sun. It is celebrated with pomp in southern parts of the country as Pongal, and in Punjab is celebrated as Lohri & Maghi. Gujarati's not only look reverentially up to the sun, but also offer thousands of their colorful oblations in the form of beautiful kites all over the skyline. They may be trying to reach upto their glorious God or bring about greater proximity with the one who represents the best. It is a day for which Bhishma Pitamah kept waiting to leave his mortal coil.
Makar Sankranti is the day when the glorious Sun-God of Hindus begins its ascendancy and entry into the Northern Hemisphere. Sun for the Hindus stands for Pratyaksha-Brahman - the manifest God, who symbolizes, the one, non-dual, self-effulgent, glorious divinity blessing one & all tirelessly. Sun is the one who transcends time and also the one who rotates the proverbial Wheel of Time. The famous Gayatri Mantra, which is chanted everyday by every faithful Hindu, is directed to Sun God to bless them with intelligence & wisdom. Sun not only represents God but also stands for an embodiment of knowledge & wisdom. Lord Krishna reveals in Gita that this manifested divinity was his first disciple, and we all know it to be indeed a worthy one too. No Sundays for the Sun, may be because one who revels in its very 'being', the very essence of his own Self, is always in the Sunday mood.
The co-relation of cosmic events with individual life and values is one of the most astounding traits of Hindu Masters. Once this co-relation is brought about thereafter these cosmic events become instrumental to remind us the best which we cherish & value. Of all the cosmic bodies Sun is the most glorious & important, thus every sun-centric cosmic event became very important spiritual, religious & cultural events. On Makar Sankranti day the Sun begins its ascendancy and journey into the Northern Hemisphere, and thus it signifies an event wherein the Gods seem to remind their children that 'Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya'. May you go higher & higher - to more & more Light and never to darkness.

Astrological Significance:
Makar means Capricorn and Sankranti is transition. There is a sankranti every month when the sun passes from one sign of the zodiac to the next. There are twelve signs of the zodiac, and thus there are twelve sankranti's as well. Each of these sankranti's has its own relative importance but two of these are more important - the Mesh (Aries) Sankranti and the most important, the Makar (Capricorn) Sankranti. Transition of the Sun from Sagittarius to Capricorn, during the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere is known as Makar Sankranti. From this day begins the six-month long Uttarayana, considered very auspicious for attaining higher worlds hereafter. While the traditional Indian Calendar is basically based on lunar positions, but sankranti is a solar event, so while dates of all festivals keep changing, the english calendar date of Makar Sankranti is always same, 14th January. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the Hindu Calendar month of Magha. There is another significance of this day, after this day the days start becoming longer & warmer, and thus the chill of winter in on decline.

Religious Significance:
1. The Puranas say that on this day Sun visits the house of his son Shani, who is the swami of Makar Rashi. These father & son do not ordinarily get along nicely, but inspite of any difference between each other Lord Sun makes it a point to meet each other on this day. Father in fact himself comes to his son’s house, for a month. This day symbolized the importance of special relationship of father & son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry forward his fathers dream and the continuity of the family.
2. From Uttarayana starts the ‘day’ of Devatas, while dakshinayana is said to be the ‘night’ of devatas, so most of the auspicious things are done during this time. Uttarayana is also called as Devayana, and the next half is called Pitrayana.
3. It was on this day when Lord Vishnu ended the ever increasing terrorism of the Asuras by finishing them off and burying their heads under the Mandar Parvat. So this occasion also represents the end of negativities and beginning of an era of righteous living.
4. The great savior of his ancestors, Maharaj Bhagirath, did great Tapasya to bring Gangaji down on the earth for the redemption of 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar, who were burnt to ashes at the Kapil Muni Ashram, near the present day Ganga Sagar. It was on this day that Bhagirath finally did tarpan with the Ganges water for his unfortunate ancestors and thereby liberated them from the curse. After visiting the Patala for the redemption of the curse of Bhagirath’s ancestors Gangaji finally merged in the Sagar. Even today a very big Ganga Sagar Mela is organized every year on this day at the confluence of River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. Lakhs take dip in the water and do tarpan for their ancestors.
We salute such a great devotee & benefactor of his ancestors. One who can express such gratitude to his ancestors, work with tireless resolve to redeem the pride, pledges & resolves of his forefathers, alone possess a personality, which the history reveals to be a true benefactor of the world too. A person who has severed his own roots gets soon rooted out in the flow of time. Moral of the story is to see to it that the roots of the tree of ‘our’ life are not only intact but nourished well, thereafter alone the tree blooms & flourishes.
There is another spiritually symbolic aspect of this story. The 60,000 cursed son of Maharaj Sagar represent our thoughts, who become dull & dead-like because of uncultured & blind ambition. Redemption of such people is only by the waters of Gangaji, brought down ‘to’ & later ‘from’ the Himalayas with great tapasya. This represents dedicated hard work to get the redeeming Brahma-Vidya, which alone enlightens, enthuses & enlivens the life of anyone.
5. Another well-known reference of this day came when the great grandsire of Mahabharata fame, Bhishma, declared his intent to leave his mortal coil on this day. He had the boon of Ichha-Mrityu from his father, so he kept lying on the bed of arrows till this day and then left his mortal coil on Makar Sankranti day. It is believed that the person, who dies during the period of Uttarayana, becomes free from transmigration. So this day was seen as a sure-shot Good Luck day to start your journey or endeavors to the higher realms beyond.

Culture & Festivities:
This festival is celebrated differently in different parts of the country.
Uttar Pradesh:
In Uttar Pradesh, Sankrant is called ‘Khichiri’. Taking a dip in the holy rivers on this day is regarded as most auspicious. A big one-month long ‘Magha-Mela’ fair begins at Prayag (Allahabad) on this occasion. Apart from Triveni, ritual bathing also takes place at many places like Haridvar and Garh Mukteshwar in Uttar Pradesh, and Patna in Bihar.

Bengal:
In Bengal every year a very big Mela is held at Ganga Sagar where the river Ganga is believed to have dived into the nether region and vivified the ashes of the sixty thousand ancestors of King Bhagirath. This mela is attended by a large number of pilgrims from all over the country.

Tamil Nadu:
In Tamil Nadu Sankrant is known by the name of ‘Pongal’, which takes its name from the surging of rice boiled in a pot of milk, and this festival has more significance than even Diwali. It is very popular particularly amongst farmers. Rice and pulses cooked together in ghee and milk is offered to the family deity after the ritual worship. In essence in the South this Sankrant is a ‘Puja’ (worship) for the Sun God.

Andhra Pradesh:
In Andhra Pradesh, it is celebrated as a three-day harvest festival Pongal. It is a big event for the people of Andhra Pradesh. The Telugus like to call it 'Pedda Panduga' meaning big festival. The whole event lasts for four days, the first day Bhogi, the second day Sankranti, the third day Kanuma and the fourth day, Mukkanuma.

Karnataka:
In Karnataka, the festival is marked by visiting one's friends and relatives to exchange greetings, and by the preparation of a dish called Ellu (made with sesame seeds, coconuts, sugar blocks, etc). A common custom found across Karnataka is the exchange of sugarcane pieces and Ellu with one's neighbors, friends and relatives. In Karnataka, Pongal is known as 'Sankranti', and cows and bullocks are gaily decorated and fed 'Pongal'- a sweet preparation of rice. Special prayers are offered. In the evening, the cattle are led out in procession to the beat of drums and music. In the night a bonfire is lit and the animals are made to jump over the fire.
Makar Sankranti is marked by men, women and children wearing colorful clothing; visiting near and dear ones; and exchanging pieces of sugarcane, a mixture of fried til, jaggery, pieces of dry coconut, peanuts and fried gram. On this auspicious day, people in Karnataka distribute Yellu and bella (Sesame seeds and Jaggery) and greet with the words " “Ellu bella thindu, Olle Maathu Aadu” (Eat sesame seeds and Jaggery speak only good). The significance of this exchange is that sweetness should prevail in all the dealings.

Maharashtra:
In Maharashtra on the Sankranti day people exchange multi-colored tilguds made from til (sesame seeds) and sugar and til-laddus made from til and jaggery. Til-polis are offered for lunch. While exchanging tilguls as tokens of goodwill people greet each other saying – ‘til-gul ghya, god god bola’ meaning ‘accept these tilguls and speak sweet words’. The under-lying thought in the exchange of tilguls is to forget the past ill-feelings and hostilities and resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends.
This is a special day for the women in Maharashtra when married women are invited for a get-together called ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ and given gifts of any utensil, which the woman of the house purchases on that day.

Gujarat:
In Gujarat Sankrant is observed more or less in the same manner as in Maharashtra but with a difference that in Gujarat there is a custom of giving gifts to relatives. The elders in the family give gifts to the younger members of the family. The Gujarati Pundits on this auspicious day grant scholarships to students for higher studies in astrology and philosophy. This festival thus helps the maintenance of social relationships within the family, caste and community.
Kite flying has been associated with this festival in a big way. It has become an internationally well-known event.

Punjab:
In Punjab where December and January are the coldest months of the year, huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Sankrant and which is celebrated as "LOHARI". Sweets, sugarcane and rice are thrown in the bonfires, around which friends and relatives gather together. The following day, which is Sankrant, is celebrated as MAGHI. The Punjabi's dance their famous Bhangra dance till they get exhausted. Then they sit down and eat the sumptuous food that is specially prepared for the occasion.

Kerala:
The 40 days anushthana by the devotees of Ayyappa ends on this day in Sabarimala with a big festival. Makara Jyothi is Sighted at the South east corner of the sky and is vissible from the hill top of the Ayyappa temple,every year the Jyothi is on the 14th of January, the date remains constant,thousands of devotees see the Jyothi and theire Joy knows no bound, it is a mervellous sight.The Ayyappa temple is in Idukki District of Kerala, Sabrimala is the name of the place.

Bundelkhand:
In Bundelkhand and Madhya Pradesh this festival of Sankrant is known by the name ‘Sakarat’ and is celebrated with great pomp & merriment accompanied by lot of sweets.

Tribals of Orissa:
Many tribals in our country start their New Year from the day of Sankrant by lighting bonfires, dancing and eating their particular dishes sitting together. The Bhuya tribals of Orissa have their Maghyatra in which small home-made articles are put for sale.

Assam:
In Assam, the festival is celebrated as Bhogali Bihu.

Coastal Region:
In the coastal regions, it is a harvest festival dedicated to Indra.

How to Celebrate:
1. Get up early in the morning, before sunrise, have bath and be ready with water & flowers for the sunrise. Worship the rising Sun, by offering water, flowers with both the hands & then pray with folded hands by chanting the Gayatri Mantra and pray for knowledge, wisdom and enlightenment to rise in the similar way to greater & greater heights. Pray for blessings to live a dynamic, inspired & righteous life.
2. Do tarpan for your ancestors. Offer water to the ancestors while praying for their blessings. Resolve to redeem the pledges & pride of your forefathers. Live life in such a way that wherever your forefathers may be their head is held high by the life & deeds of their children.
3. Have a special session of Meditation, wherein you bring about the awareness of the self-effulgent subjective divinity. Affirm the greatest importance of your spiritual goal very clearly, and pray to God to bless you with the capacity to constantly revel in your true self. May the graph of your rise like the Uttarayana Sun. May there be greater 'Love & Light' in your life & the world.
4. Prepare laddus or other sweets of Til & Gur and offer them to your friends & relatives. See to it that your ‘Well-being Prayer for all’ gets manifested in action & deeds.
5. Have the lunch of Khichiri. This stands for inculcating simplicity in your life & habits.
6. Give some Daan on this day to someone who truly deserves.
7. Visit your son at his place and give presents to the son and the daughter-in-law. If it is not possible to visit, then organize to send presents to them to express your love & affection to them. Work to properly cultivate the generation, which has to carry forward all the best you cherish & value.
Our Best Wishes on this auspecious day of Sankranti to all of you who are viewing these blogs being posted.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Kanum Pongal

A Family Outing in village Enjoying A Bullacart Ride
The fourth day of the three-day Pongal celebrations is called Kaanum Pongal. In few places this day is also known as Karinaal or Thiruvalluvar Day. It is dedicated to the sun god, Surya and has its roots in ancient Brahminical tradition. Since Pongal is a rural, agrarian based festival that celebrates the harvests, the sun is a vital part of the proceedings. This is because the Sun is the symbol of life on Earth. Without the Sun, crops cannot sprout and grow. Without the Sun, harvests will not be plentiful.Surya PujaOn Kaanum Pongal, elaborate powdered chalk designs of the sun god, Surya are drawn. As soon as the auspicious month of Thai is underway, Surya is worshiped. Sheaves of sugarcane dot the prayer area. Freshly cooked food including the typical sweet dish 'Sarkarai pongal' is first offered to Surya. Sugarcane that is offered is symbolic for sweetness and happiness in life. Sugarcane stalks and coconut- both auspicious symbols of plenty- are also offered to the Gods in propitiation of a plentiful harvest in the forthcoming yearCustoms & RitualsThis day is very similar to Rakhsa Bandhan and Bhai Dhuj in that it is predominantly a festival where women offer prayers for the wellbeing of their brothers. The women perform this ritual before bathing in the morning. All the women, young and old, of the house, assemble in the courtyard. The rice is placed in the centre of the leaf, while the women ask that the house and family of their brothers should prosper. Arati is performed for the brothers with turmeric water, limestone and rice, and this water is sprinkled on the kolam in front of the house.CelebrationOn this day, people travel to see other family members and the younger members of the family pay homage to the elders, and the elders thank them by giving token money. Another thing many do is leave food out on banana leaves for birds to take. Many South Indian people take the first bit of rice cooked in any given day and set it outside for the crows to take, so this is not necessarily a habit only for Pongal. Some also go to temple to worship and thank god for all good things that are bestowed on them.
The Kanum Pongal is on the 17/01/2008 Thursday, enjoy outing and eat what you like most.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Mattu-Pongal

Cow with Coloured Horns and Decorations
The third day of Pongal is dedicated to cattle and is called Mattu Pongal. People offer prayers to the bulls, cows and other farm animals. Cows and bulls have always held a special place in India. Cows give nourishing milk while bulls and oxen help plough the fields. Thus, Maatu Pongal is a day when cattle are given a well deserved day of rest and are given pride of place. Therefore the farmers honor their cattle friends by celebrating it as a day of thanks-giving to them.LegendOn this day, Lord Ganesh and Goddess Parvati are worshiped and Pongal is offered to them in the 'puja'. According to a legend, once Shiva asked his bull, Basava, to go to the earth and ask the mortals to have an oil massage and bath every day and to eat once a month. Inadvertently, Basava announced that everyone should eat daily and have an oil bath once a month. This mistake enraged Shiva who then cursed Basava, banishing him to live on the earth forever. He would have to plough the fields and help people produce more food. Thus the association of this day with cattle.Puja ProcessThe cattle are washed, their horns are painted and covered with shining metal caps. Multi-colored beads, tinkling bells, sheaves of corn and flower garlands are tied around their necks. They are fed with Pongal and taken to the village centres. Devotees pay their respect to cows by bending down, like praying in temple, and touching their feet and foreheads, followed by an aarthi (showing fire to the object of praise) and offering the cattle prasadam (food offering, in this case, Pongal).Jallikattu- A Bull FestivalA festival called Jallikattu is held in Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjavur on this day. Bundles of money are tied to the horns of ferocious bulls which the villagers try to retrieve. Everyone joins in the community meal, at which the food is made of the freshly harvested grain. This day is named and celebrated as Tamizhar Tirunal in a fitting manner throughout Tamil Nadu.
Please try to feed any animal on mattu pongal dayyou come across as the animals also are our brothers and sister. Mattu pongal is on 16/01/2008 Wednesday.

Pongal-Celebrations


Surya Pongal
The second day of Pongal is known as 'Surya Pongal' and is dedicated to the Sun God. It is the day on which the celebration actually begins and is also the first day of the Tamil month Thai. On this day the granaries are full, the sun shines brightly, trees are in full bloom, bird-songs resound in the air and hearts overflow with happiness that get translated into colorful and joyous celebrations. Puja PreparationWomen wake early on this day to create elaborate 'kolam' on the grounds in front of their doorway or home. Kolam is created with colored rice flour placed on the ground carefully by using one's hand. The women take several hours to finish the kolum. On this day the new rice is collected and cooked in pots until they over flow. It is this overflowing which means Pongal. This overflowing of rice is a joyous occasion, and the children and adults as well will shout out 'Pongal-o-Pongal!'Surya Pongal Puja ProcessThe Sun God is offered boiled milk and jaggery. A plank is placed on the ground, a large image of the Sun God is sketched on it and Kolam designs are drawn around it. In the centre of the plank is drawn a large figure of the Sun God with his effulgent rays. The "Puja" of the Sun God starts after the auspicious moment of the birth of the new month Thai. Prayers are rendered to the Sun God to seek his benedictions.The Sun God is given pride of place during Pongal. In the villages, people gather in the courtyard and prepare the Pongal in the open. The pot in which the Pongal is cooked is decorated with flowers, sugarcane pieces, turmeric plant etc. The first offering is made to the Sun. Surya Pongal DelicaciesThe rice is cooked and prepared as a dish called Pongal, which is rice with dhal and sugar. This Pongal variety is called venpongal, ven meaning white. Another variety is also prepared with dhal and jaggery (sweet), called chakra pongal, chakrai meaning sweet. To accompany the venpongal, people eat brinjal (eggplant) sambar (stew), vadai, idli and spicy accompaniments.Sweets, puddings, cooked rice or 'Sarkarai Pongal' are prepared on this day. On all the three days of Bhogi, Pongal and Maattu Pongal, women adorn the entrance of their houses with colorful kolams. Large patterns, decorated with colorful flowers and powders are drawn, crowding the entire street.
The Pongal or the Sankaranti festival this year is on 15/01/2008, as the Sun Moves from Dakshinayan to Uttrayana.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Gayatri Mantra-Meaning


Sun God With His Chariot


OM
GAYATRI MANTRA - ITS MEANING
गायत्री मंत्र की व्याख्या
AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA,TAT SAVITUR VARENYAMBHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHIDHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT.
Summary of the Gayatri Mantra
Gayatri Mantra (the mother of the vedas), the foremost mantra in hinduism and hindu beliefs, inspires wisdom. Its meaning is that "May the Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path".
Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life, Remover of pain and sorrow,The Bestower of happiness,Oh! Creator of the Universe,May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light,May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.

Gayatri Mantra in Sanskrit is depicted above people who know sanskrit or hindi it should not be a problem reading it.

As Shankaranti is fast approaching we will see some write up on the SunGod.
The first picture depicted is that of Sun God with his one wheel chariot and seven horses

Sree Surya Puranam
When the world came into existence, the first sound that reverbrated was 'Om'. Suryan was born from this 'Omkara naadham'. Sree Markandeya Puranam has explained this factor.
Suryan was the son of Sage Kashyap and was the grandson of Sage Maarisi. Surya married Soorvarsala, the daughter of Viswakarma. Vaivasvatha Manu and Yamadharmarajan were his sons and Yamuna, his daughter.
It should be mentioned here that the chariot of Surya has only one wheel. It is drawn by seven horses in seven colours. Lord Surya, who is the chief of the grahas, appears with a lotus in his divine hands.
Surya Bhagawan blesses his devotees with good health, fame and efficient management.
























































































































































































Thursday, January 10, 2008

Bogi Festival

Bogi festival or Bhogi is the first day of Pongal and is celebrated in honor of Lord Indra, "the God of Clouds and Rains". Lord Indra is worshiped for the abundance of harvest, thereby bringing plenty and prosperity to the land. Thus, this day is also known as Indran. On Bhogi all people clean out their homes from top to bottom, and collect all unwanted goods. This day is meant for domestic activities and of being together with the family members.All the houses from the richest to the humblest are thoroughly scrubbed and whitewashed. Homes are cleaned and decorated with "Kolam" - floor designs drawn in the white paste of newly harvested rice with outlines of red mud. Often pumpkin flowers are set into cow-dung balls and placed among the patterns. Fresh harvest of rice, turmeric and sugarcane is brought in from the field as preparation for the following day.PujaA special puja is performed on the first day of Pongal before the cutting of paddy. Farmers worship the sun and the earth by anointing their ploughs and sickles with sandalwood paste. It is with these consecrated tools that the newly-harvested rice is cut. The BonfireAnother ritual observed on this day is Bhogi Mantalu, when useless household articles are thrown into a fire made of wood and cow-dung cakes. Girls dance around the bonfire, singing songs in praise of the gods, the spring and the harvest. The significance of the bonfire, in which is burnt the agricultural wastes and firewood is to keep warm during the last lap of winter. In Andhra Pradesh this day is celebrated by girls burning their old clothes and wearing the new ones after an oil massage and bath. Then follows Pongal Panai, a ritual in which new earthenware pots are painted and decorated with turmeric, flowers and mango leaves.
The Bogi festival this year is on 14th January 2008, remember to do away with old things which you do not use any more give as charity to the needy.

What Happens In Heaven

ANGEL

What Happens in Heaven This is one of the nicest mails I have seen and is so true: I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, 'This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.' I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world. Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section. The angel then said to me, 'This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them.' I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth. Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. 'This is the Aknowledgment Section,' my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed 'How is it that? There's no work going on here?' I asked. 'So sad,' the angel sighed. 'After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments. 'How does one acknowledge God's blessings?' I asked. 'Simple,' the angel answered. 'Just say, 'Thank you, Lord.' 'What blessings should they acknowledge?' I asked. 'If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. 'If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. 'And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.' Also .... 'If you woke up this morning with more health than illness .... you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day. 'If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation .. you are ahead of 700 million people in the world. 'If you can attend a Spiritual meeting without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world. 'If your parents are still alive and still married .. you are very rare. If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair.' Ok, what now? How can I start? If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all. Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you want, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are. Attn: Acknowledge Dept.: Thank You Lord! 'Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people to share it with'.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Thoughts-Kanchi Mahaswamy


Kanchi Mahaswamy
There are many methods to offer happiness to God that comes from Vidya. A poet Pushpadanta' described in Sivamahima Stotra in the following sloka.
Trayee saamKhyam yogaha pasupati matam Vaishnava miti Prabhinne prastaaNe paramidaha madhaha padhyaMiti cha. Ruchinam vai chitryat rujukutila nanapadha jusham Nrunaameeko gamyastva Masi payasa marnava eva.
Trayee: means three vedas. We have to study three vedas and perform karmas (duties) mentioned in the vedas.
Saamkhyam: our body is inertial. It will die. It does not have intelligence. We are knowing this through our experiences. I am fatty, I am block, I am suffering from illness, etc; in all the sentences " I " indicates consciousness with body. But consciousness is different from body. This knowledge i.e "consciousness is different from body" is called 'saamkhyam'. This is also known as "prakruti purusha vivekam".
Yogam: Our mind is always thinking either good or bad. We are suffering from unable to follow the mind. Even we try to control, it will not be stable. If we keep it stable, we get immense happiness (ananda). Through yama, niyama, aasana and pranayaama, mind can be controlled. This process is generally called Yoga. "yoga chitta vrutti nirodhaha".
Pasupati matam Vaishnavam: We can not create a single grain of rice. We enjoy with whatever is there in the world. God alone can create such a world with his power. His power is greater than that of us. If we follow his power, we will feel happy. With faith in God, whatever we do should be offered to God. Religion (saivism, vaishnavam, etc.) teaches the process of offering to God. If we say Siva is God, then it is Saivism or alternatively if Vishnu is God, it is Vaishnavam.
When we share happiness, we develop real equality and love. Before starting speech, every one say "sisters and brothers". How can all be sisters and brothers? Is it true that all audience should have single mother and father? Yes! it is possible to have single mother and father for all. Our father is God (Eswara) and mother is Para Shakti. "Jagataha pitarau vande".
The concept of sister and brother is not only applicable for human beings but also to animals, trees and plants. All these are created by God only. When we realise this, no one will do no harm (himsa) to others.

Hanumanth Jayanthi

About Hanuman Jayanti
Yatra yatra raghunatha kirtanam; Tatra tatra kritha masthakanjalim; Bhaspavaari paripurna lochanam; Maarutim namata raakshasanthakam
Meaning : "We bow to Maruti, Sri Hanuman, who stands with his palms folded above his forehead, with a torrent of tears flowing down his eyes wherever the Names of Lord Rama are sung".
Sri Hanuman is worshipped all over India-either alone or together with Sri Rama. Every temple of Sri Rama has the murti or idol of Sri Hanuman. Hanuman is the Avatara of Lord Shiva. He was born of the Wind-God and Anjani Devi. His other names are Pavanasuta, Marutsuta, Pavankumar, Bajrangabali and Mahavira.
He is the living embodiment of Ram-Nam. He was an ideal selfless worker, a true Karma Yogi who worked desirelessly and dynamically. He was a great devotee and an exceptional Brahmachari or celibate. He served Sri Rama with pure love and devotion, without expecting any fruit in return. He lived to serve Sri Rama. He was humble, brave and wise. He possessed all the divine virtues. He did what others could not do-crossing the ocean simply by uttering Ram-Nam, burning the city of Lanka, and bringing the sanjeevini herb and restoring Lakshmana to life again. He brought Sri Rama and Lakshmana from the nether world after killing Ahiravana.
He had devotion, knowledge, spirit of selfless service, power of celibacy, and desirelessness. He never boasted of his bravery and intelligence.
He said to Ravana, "I am a humble messenger of Sri Rama. I have come here to serve Rama, to do His work. By the command of Lord Rama, I have come here. I am fearless by the Grace of Lord Rama. I am not afraid of death. I welcome it if it comes while serving Lord Rama."
Mark here how humble Hanuman was! How very devoted he was to Lord Rama! He never said, "I am the brave Hanuman. I can do anything and everything."
Lord Rama Himself said to Sri Hanuman, "I am greatly indebted to you, O mighty hero! You did marvellous, superhuman deeds. You do not want anything in return. Sugriva has his kingdom restored to him. Angada has been made the crown prince. Vibhishana has become king of Lanka. But you have not asked for anything at any time. You threw away the precious garland of pearls given to you by Sita. How can I repay My debt of gratitude to you? I will always remain deeply indebted to you. I give you the boon of everlasting life. All will honour and worship you like Myself. Your murti will be placed at the door of My temple and you will be worshipped and honoured first. Whenever My stories are recited or glories sung, your glory will be sung before Mine. You will be able to do anything, even that which I will not be able to!"
Thus did Lord Rama praise Hanuman when the latter returned to Him after finding Sita in Lanka. Hanuman was not a bit elated. He fell in prostration at the holy feet of Lord Rama.
Lord Rama asked him, "O mighty hero, how did you cross the ocean?"
Hanuman humbly replied, "By the power and glory of Thy Name, my Lord."
Again the Lord asked, "How did you burn Lanka? How did you save yourself?"
And Hanuman replied, "By Thy Grace, my Lord."
What humility Sri Hanuman embodied!
On this holy day worship Sri Hanuman. Fast on this day. Read the Hanuman Chalisa. Spend the whole day in the Japa of Ram-Nam. Sri Hanuman will be highly pleased and will bless you with success in all your undertakings.
Glory to Hanuman! Glory to his Lord, Sri Rama
Today As per Tamil Calendar Hanumanth Jayanthi is Celebrated, Amavasya,Moola Nakshtra and Margashi month all togather is the Jayanthi day.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Take Time



TAKE-TIME

Take Time to Think It is The Source of Power
Take Time to Play It is The Secret of Perpectual Youth
Take Time to Pray It is The Greatest Power on Earth
Take Time to Love & Be Loved It is The God given Privilage
Take Time to Be Friendly It is The Road To Hapiness
Take Time to Laugh It is The Music of Soul.
Take Time to Give It is Too Short a Day to Be Selfish.
Take Time To Work It is The Price of Success.

We will Take Time and come to the Blog Soon

Friday, January 4, 2008

Swami Vivekananda

Thoughts _Swami Vivekananda
When I Asked God for StrengthHe Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face
When I Asked God for Brain & Brown He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve
When I Asked God for Happiness He Showed Me Some Unhappy People
When I Asked God for Wealth He Showed Me How to Work Hard
When I Asked God for Favors He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard
When I Asked God for Peace He Showed Me How to Help Others
God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted He Gave Me Everything I Needed
Swami Vivekananda

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Ramakrishna Parmahamsa

Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Parmahamsa
God can be realized through all paths. All religions are true. The important thing is to reach the roof. You can reach it by stone stairs or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope. You can also climb up by a bamboo pole.
One should not think, 'My religion alone is the right path and other religions are false.' God can be realized by means of all paths.
It is enough to have sincere yearning for God. Infinite are the paths and infinite the opinions.
I had to practise each religion for a time — Hinduism, Islam, Christianity. Furthermore, I followed the paths of the Saktas, Vaishnavas, and Vedantists. I realized that there is only one God toward whom all are travelling; but the paths are different.
Truth is one; only It is called by different names. All people are seeking the same Truth; the variance is due to climate, temperament, and name. A lake has many ghats. From one ghat the Hindus take water in jars and call it 'jal'. From another ghat the Mussalmans take water in leather bags and call it 'pani'. From a third the Christians take the same thing and call it 'water'. Suppose someone says that the thing is not 'jal' but 'pani', or that it is not 'pani' but 'water', or that it is not 'water' but 'jal', It would indeed be ridiculous. But this very thing is at the root of the friction among sects, their misunderstandings and quarrels. This is why people injure and kill one another, and shed blood, in the name of religion. But this is not good.
Everyone is going toward God. They will all realize Him if they have sincerity and longing of heart. You must know that there are different tastes. There are also different powers of digestion. God has made different religions and creeds to suit different aspirants. By no means all are fit for the Knowledge of Brahman. Therefore the worship of God with form has been provided. The mother brings home a fish for her children. She curries part of the fish, part she fries, and with another part she makes pilau. By no means all can digest the pilau. So she makes fish soup for those who have weak stomachs. Further, some want pickled or fried fish. There are different temperaments. There are differences in the capacity to comprehend.
A man can reach the roof of a house by stone stairs or a ladder or a rope-ladder or a rope or even by a bamboo pole. But he cannot reach the roof if he sets foot now on one and now on another.
He should firmly follow one path. Likewise, in order to realize God a man must follow one path with all his strength.
But you must regard other views as so many paths leading to God. You should not feel that your path is the only right path and that other paths are wrong. You mustn't bear malice toward others.
If there are errors in other religions, that is none of our business. God, to whom the world belongs, takes care of that.
Lovers of God do not belong to any caste.... A brahmin without this love is no longer a brahmin. And a pariah with the love of God is no longer a pariah. Through bhakti an untouchable becomes pure and elevated.
When the fruit appears the blossom drops off. Love of God is the fruit, and rituals are the blossom.
Whether you accept Radha and Krishna, or not, please do accept their attraction for each other. Try to create that same yearning in your heart for God.
Yearning is all you need in order to realize Him.
Can you weep for Him with intense longing of heart? Men shed a jugful of tears for the sake of their children, for their wives, or for money. But who weeps for God? So long as the child remains engrossed with its toys, the mother looks after her cooking and other household duties. But when the child no longer relishes the toys, it throws them aside and yells for its mother. Then the mother takes the rice-pot down from the hearth, runs in haste, and takes the child in her arms.
God reveals Himself to a devotee who feels drawn to Him by the combined force of these three attractions: the attraction of worldly possessions for the worldly man, the child's attraction for its mother, and the husband's attraction for the chaste wife.
If one feels drawn to Him by the combined force of these three attractions, then through it one can attain Him.
Direct the six passions to God. The impulse of lust should be turned into the desire to have intercourse with Atman. Feel angry at those who stand in your way to God. Feel greedy for Him. If you must have the feeling of I and mine, then associate it with God. Say, for instance, 'My Rama, my Krishna.' If you must have pride, then feel like Bibhishana, who said, 'I have touched the feet of Rama with my head; I will not bow this head before anyone else.'
You have been born in this world as a human being to worship God; therefore try to acquire love for His Lotus Feet. Why do you trouble yourself to know a hundred other things?
What will you gain by discussing philosophy? Look here, one ounce of liquor is enough to intoxicate you. What is the use of your trying to find out how many gallons of liquor there are in the tavern?
The devotee of God wants to eat sugar, and not become sugar.
The one essential thing is bhakti, loving devotion to God. Do the Theosophists seek bhakti? They are good if they do. If Theosophy makes the realization of God the goal of life, then it is good. One cannot seek God if one constantly busies oneself with the mahatmas and the lunar, solar, and stellar planes.
A man should practise sadhana and pray to God with a longing heart for love of His Lotus Feet. He should direct his mind to God alone, withdrawing it from the various objects of the world.
I have heard that man can acquire superhuman powers through it and perform miracles. I saw a man who had brought a ghost under control. The ghost used to procure various things for his master. What shall I do with superhuman powers? Can one realize God through them? If God is not realized then everything becomes false. It is said that truthfulness alone constitutes the spiritual discipline of the Kaliyuga.
If a man clings tenaciously to truth he ultimately realizes God. Without this regard for truth, one gradually loses everything. If by chance I say that I will go to the pine-grove, I must go there even if there is no further need of it, lest I lose my attachment to truth. After my vision of the Divine Mother, I prayed to Her, taking a flower in my hands: 'Mother, here is Thy knowledge and here is Thy ignorance. Take them both, and give me only pure love. Here is Thy holiness and here is Thy unholiness. Take them both, Mother, and give me pure love. Here is Thy good and here is Thy evil. Take them both, Mother, and give me pure love. Here is Thy righteousness and here is Thy unrighteousness. Take them both, Mother, and give me pure love.' I mentioned all these, but I could not say: 'Mother, here is Thy truth and here is Thy falsehood. Take them both.' I gave up everything at Her feet but could not bring myself to give up truth.
God laughs on two occasions. He laughs when the physician says to the patient's mother, 'Don't be afraid, mother; I shall certainly cure your boy.' God laughs, saying to Himself, 'I am going to take his life, and this man says he will save it!' The physician thinks he is the master, forgetting that God is the Master. God laughs again when two brothers divide their land with a string, saying to each other, 'This side is mine and that side is yours.' He laughs and says to Himself, 'The whole universe belongs to Me, but they say they own this portion or that portion.'
The waves belong to the Ganges, not the Ganges to the waves. A man cannot realize God unless he gets rid of all such egotistic ideas as 'I am such an important man' or 'I am so and so'. Level the mound of 'I' to the ground by dissolving it with tears of devotion.
One can easily realize God if one is free from guile. Spiritual instruction produces quick results in a guileless heart. Such a heart is like well cultivated land from which all the stones have been removed. No sooner is the seed sown than it germinates. The fruit also appears quickly.
One cannot attain divine knowledge till one gets rid of pride. Water does not stay on the top of a mound; but into low land it flows in torrents from all sides.
Many people think they cannot have knowledge or understanding of God without reading books. But hearing is better than reading, and seeing is better than hearing. Hearing about Benares is different from reading about it; but seeing Benares is different from either hearing or reading. One cannot be spiritual as long as one has shame, hatred, or fear. If one has faith one has everything.
By constantly repeating, 'I am free, I am free', a man verily becomes free. On the other hand, by constantly repeating, 'I am bound, I am bound', he certainly becomes bound to worldliness. The fool who says only, 'I am a sinner, I am a sinner', verily drowns himself in worldliness. One should rather say: 'I have chanted the name of God. How can I be a sinner? How can I be bound?'
All will surely realize God. All will be liberated. It may be that some get their meal in the morning, some at noon, and some in the evening; but none will go without food. All, without any exception, will certainly know their real Self.
He who has realized God does not look upon a woman with the eye of lust; so he is not afraid of her. He perceives clearly that women are but so many aspects of the Divine Mother. He worships them all as the Mother Herself.
Women are, all of them, the veritable images of Sakti.
There are three kinds of devotees: superior, mediocre, and inferior. The inferior devotee says, 'God is out there.' According to him God is different from His creation. The mediocre devotee says: 'God is the Antaryami, the Inner Guide. God dwells in everyone's heart.' The mediocre devotee sees God in the heart. But the superior devotee sees that God alone has become everything; He alone has become the twenty-four cosmic principles. He finds that everything, above and below, is filled with God. God is directly perceived by the mind, but not by this ordinary mind. It is the pure mind that perceives God, and at that time this ordinary mind does not function. A mind that has the slightest trace of attachment to the world cannot be called pure. When all the impurities of the mind are removed, you may call that mind Pure Mind or Pure Atman.
The Pure Mind and the Pure Atman are one and the same thing. Whatever comes up in the Pure Mind is the voice of God.
Brahman and Sakti are identical. If you accept the one, you must accept the other. It is like fire and its power to burn. If you see the fire, you must recognize its power to burn also. You cannot think of fire without its power to burn, nor can you think of the power to burn without fire. You cannot conceive of the sun's rays without the sun, nor can you conceive of the sun without its rays. You cannot think of the milk without the whiteness, and again, you cannot think of the whiteness without the milk. Thus one cannot think of Brahman without Sakti, or of Sakti without Brahman. One cannot think of the Absolute without the Relative, or of the Relative without the Absolute.
This maya, that is to say, the ego, is like a cloud. The sun cannot be seen on account of a thin patch of cloud; when that disappears one sees the sun. If by the grace of the guru one's ego vanishes, then one sees God.
Imagine a limitless expanse of water: above and below, before and behind, right and left, everywhere there is water. In that water is placed a jar filled with water. There is water inside the jar and water outside, but the jar is still there. The 'I' is the jar.
The body was born and it will die. But for the soul there is no death. It is like the betel-nut. When the nut is ripe it does not stick to the shell. But when it is green it is difficult to separate it from the shell. After realizing God, one does not identify oneself any more with the body. Then one knows that body and soul are two different things.
Think of Brahman, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute, as a shoreless ocean. Through the cooling influence, as it were, of the bhakta's love, the water has frozen at places into blocks of ice. In other words, God now and then assumes various forms for His lovers and reveals Himself to them as a Person. But with the rising of the sun of Knowledge, the blocks of ice melt. Then one doesn't feel any more that God is a Person, nor does one see God's forms. What He is cannot be described. Who will describe Him? He who would do so disappears. He cannot find his 'I' any more. (p. 148) Suppose a thorn has pierced a man's foot. He picks another thorn to pull out the first one. After extracting the first thorn with the help of the second, he throws both away. One should use the thorn of knowledge to pull out the thorn of ignorance. Then one throws away both the thorns, knowledge and ignorance, and attains vijnana. What is vijnana? It is to know God distinctly by realizing His existence through an intuitive experience and to speak to Him intimately. That is why Sri Krishna said to Arjuna, 'Go beyond the three gunas.' (p. 780) Take the case of the infinite ocean. There is no limit to its water. Suppose a pot is immersed in it: there is water both inside and outside the pot. The jnani sees that both inside and outside there is nothing but Paramatman. Then what is this pot? It is 'I-consciousness'. Because of the pot the water appears to be divided into two parts; because of the pot you seem to perceive an inside and an outside. One feels that way as long as this pot of 'I' exists. When the 'I' disappears, what is remains. That cannot be described in words.
Who may be called a paramahamsa? He who, like a swan, can take the milk from a mixture of milk and water, leaving aside the water. He who, like an ant, can take the sugar from a mixture of sugar and sand, leaving aside the sand.
I have no disciple. I am the servant of the servant of Rama. There is not a fellow under the sun who is my disciple. On the contrary, I am everybody's disciple. All are the children of God. All are His servants. I too am a child of God. I too am His servant. As for me, I consider myself as a speck of the dust of the devotee's feet.
"O Mother, I throw myself on Thy mercy; I take shelter at Thy Hallowed Feet. I do not want bodily comforts; I do not crave name and fame; I do not seek the eight occult powers. Be gracious and grant that I may have pure love for Thee, a love unsmitten by desire, untainted by any selfish ends — a love craved by the devotee for the sake of love alone. And grant me the favour, O Mother, that I may not be deluded by Thy world-bewitching maya, that I may never be attached to the world, to 'woman and gold', conjured up by Thy inscrutable maya! O Mother, there is no one but Thee whom I mav call my own. Mother, I do not know how to worship; I am without austerity; I have neither devotion nor knowledge. Be gracious, Mother, and out of Thy infinite mercy grant me love for Thy Lotus Feet."

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Botanical Plants as Navgraha

Peepul tree as Jupiter or Brahaspathi
As mentioned earlier here is a write up on the Botanical plants for navagrha and their effects, on humans.

Sacred Herbs
Arka Plant / Milkweed Plant (Sun)
"Arka Bhasma" is used in the talisman that is made for maintaining the effects of the placement of Sun in the horoscope. If Arka Bhasma is used when the Sun is placed well in the horoscope, it leads to dignity, leadership, confidence, power and nobility. The individual is a strong, compassionate, pious, well read and leads a happy life.
When the Sun is ill placed in the horoscope, it leads to low self esteem and energy, lack of confidence and negative results in life. Arka Bhasma nullifies the malefic effects of the ill placement of Sun.

Palasha Plant / Flame-of-the-forest Tree (Moon)
"Palasha Bhasma" is used for maintaining the effects of Moon on the horoscope. If the Moon is well placed in the horoscope, the use of "Palasha Bhasma" leads to good habits, stable life and health and the individual is hard working, wealthy and well respected.
If the Moon is ill placed in the horoscope, it leads to depression, hypersensitivity and stress which are removed by the use of "Palasha Bhasma".

Pippala Tree / Peepul Tree (Jupiter)
"Pippala Bhasma" is used for controlling the effects of Jupiter. When the Jupiter is well placed in the horoscope, the use of "Pippala Bhasma" leads towards spiritualism, caring, optimism, faith, good judgment and the individual is blessed with power and respect.
If the Jupiter is ill-placed in the horoscope, it leads to unhappiness, selfishness, egotism, sloth and greed and all these bad effects are removed by the use of "Pippala Bhasma".

Durva Grass / Bermuda Grass (Rahu)
"Durva Bhasma" is essential for controlling the effects of Rahu. If the Rahu is well placed in an individual's horoscope, it leads to inspiration, originality, insight and uniqueness. The use of " Durva Bhasma" makes the individual wealthy and fortunate.
If the planet Rahu is ill placed in the horoscope it leads to paranoia, addictions, mental ailments, stress and troubles. The use of "Durva Bhasma" removes such bad effects of Rahu.

Apamarga / Prickly Chaff Plant (Mercury)
"Apamarga Bhasma" is ideal for controlling the effects of planet Mercury. If Mercury is well placed in the horoscope of an individual, it leads to rationality, wit and dexterity. The use of "Apamarga Bhasma" makes an individual happy, educated, fortunate and highly respected.
If the Mercury is ill-placed in the horoscope, it leads to lack of concentration, speech and hearing impediments, lack of vitality and lack of communication. The "Apamarga Bhasma" leads to a removal of these malefic effects of Mercury.

Audumbara / Doomar (Venus)
"Audumbara Bhasma" is used for maintaining the good effects of planet Venus. If the placement of Venus is good in the horoscope, it leads to attractiveness, grace, elegance and long life. The use of the "Audumbara Bhasma" makes an individual refined with humanitarian qualities.
When Venus is ill-placed in the horoscope, it leads to vanity, corruption, lack of taste and refinement and ageing and the "Audumbara Bhasma" is used to remove these effects of Venus.

Kusa / Sacrificial Grass (Ketu)
"Kusa Bhasma" is used for controlling the effects of planet Ketu. If Ketu is well placed in the horoscope of an individual, it leads to spiritualism, sensitivity and high intuitive powers. The use of "Kusa Bhasma" makes the individual wealthy and protected against evil.
If the Ketu is ill-placed in the horoscope, it will lead towards eccentricity, irrational behaviour, fanaticism and addictions like gambling and fatal diseases such as cancer. To remove these effects of Ketu, "Kusa Bhasma" is used.

Shami Tree/Prosopis (Saturn)
"Shami Bhasma" is used to control the effects of Saturn (Shani). If Saturn is well placed in the horoscope, it leads to discipline in life, responsibility, humbleness and if "Shami Bhasma" is used by the individual, he has a long life, is charitable and proficient in every work.
If Saturn is ill placed in the horoscope, the individual suffers from depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness and disorders of the nervous system. "Shami Bhasma" is used for removing these bad effects of Saturn.

Khadira/Couch Plant (Mars)
"Khadira Bhasma" is used for controlling the effects of the planet Mars. If Mars is well placed in the horoscope, it leads towards positive energy, strength, courage, passion, and aggression. The use of "Khadira Bhasma" makes the individual energetic, learned, well known and noble.
When Mars is ill-placed in the horoscope, it leads to anger, irritability, instability, aggression and the individual is prone to high blood pressure, anemia, and impurities in the blood. The "Khadira Bhasma" is used to counteract these bad effects of Mars.

As mentioned the above plants are planted outside the temple garden, the plant which represents Sun will be in the middle and the other plants planted on the four sides of the Arka milky plant.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Sanishwara Bhagwan

The griha SANISCHARA (Saturn), also known as Manda, is generally known to affect one adversely on occasions when he occupies certain positions in one's horoscope like Saade Sati (7 1/2 years) Ashtama Sani (Saturn in 8 Th house - 2 1/2 years) etc. A prayer to this Devata, especially on Saturdays, is said to mitigate the hardships one will have to face during these periods. Sanischara is considered equally a bestower of all benefits to the devotees who pray sincerely to him.
He is the Lord of Makaram and Kumbam He is the slowest moving planet taking 2 1/2 years in each Rasi, completing one cycle every 30 years.
Exclusive Temples exist for Sanischara at Thirunallar in Tamii Nadu, and also at Naydongri in Maharashtra. In Karnataka every township has a temple for Shanishwara and well worshiped by one and all.
This concludes our blog on the Navagraha however we shall post some details of plants which are considered as nava grahas and many of the Karnataka temples have the trees planted as per the seating of the navagraha deities.

Sukra or Venus


Sukra is the bestower of long life, wealth, happiness, children, property and good education. He is the Guru for Asuras. Well learned in Neeti Sastras follower of such sastras and one who dispenses justice, Sukra is considered a beneficial devata. He blesses the devotees with power to control one's Indriyas (Sense organs) and enables the devotee to obtain fame and name. Fridays are considered to be effective for the worship of Sukra.
In the Zodiac, he is the Lord of Tulo. Sukra takes one year to complete the Zodiac cycle living one month in each Rasi.
The Temple for Sukra Bhagwan is in Kanchanoor near Kumbakonam and very near to Suryanar Koil.

Rahu Graha

Deity of Rahu

The Skanda Purana says that Rahu is instrumental in strengthening ones power and converting even an enemy into a friend The effect of snake bite is removed by his grace. The lunar and solar eclipses are attributed to Rahu and Ketu Rahu and Ketu stay 1 1/2 years in each Griha. The temple for Rahu is at Thiru Nageswaram the place is about 8km from Kumbakonam and about 2 km from Uppaliappan temple the temple considered to be the elder brother of Sri Venkatachalapathy at Tirupathi. The pooja and abhishekahm is performed to Rahu Bhagwan during the Rahu kalam every day which is supposed to be very auspecious for the deity.